Olongapo SubicBay BatangGapo Newscenter

Monday, December 31, 2007

Palace group goes after 4 oil companies

THE Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group is seeking P3.8 billion in damages and revenue losses from four petroleum firms accused of smuggling oil into the country.

Group head Antonio Villar Jr. said Oilink International Corp., PTT Philippines Corp., Tri-Solid Movers Services Inc., and Mawab and Andan Resources were not out of the woods yet despite paying P482 million in back taxes and penalties.

“They still have to pay another P400 million to erase the stigma of having been caught defrauding the government through the technical smuggling of fuel,” Villar said.

“Furthermore, if the oil firms are found guilty of defrauding the government of duties and taxes, the determined revenue loss of P482 million will be multiplied by eight, which means [they] will have to pay a total of P3.8 billion,” he said.

The group earlier pressed criminal charges against eight Oilink officers and four Customs officials following the smuggling of oil from the Subic Bay Free Port early this year.

Oilink, a Unioil sister firm, was found guilty of undervaluing the imported oil on board the m/t Port Louis, to 12,657.41 metric tons from 26,508.50 metric tons, on Feb. 19.

Trisolid failed to account for 138 million liters of diesel oil worth P3 billion being transported by the tanker m/t BMI Patricia, which was seized by the Coast Guard on the Pasig River in January.

Officials say oil smuggling accounts for at least 50 percent—or P40 billion—of the total revenue losses from all forms of smuggling.

Villar vowed to intensify his agency’s operation against oil smugglers to offset possible tax losses once a Senate proposal to suspend the collection of expanded value added tax on petroleum products becomes a law.

“In the event the Senate approves the proposal in a bid to ease the impact of [rising oil prices], [we will] make it a point that oil smuggling will simply be a dream,” Villar said.

“If we can realize the target of P2 billion [in] additional revenue from oil imports provided we stop smuggling, then the government would somehow find relief in a costly move to ease the plight of citizens due to the high prices of petroleum products.” Joyce Pangco Pañares - Manila Standard Today

Korean firm, truck driver in Subic sued for death of worker

Korean firm, truck driver in Subic sued for death of worker

By Tonette Orejas - Philippine Daily Inquirer

The father of a Subic worker who fell from a company truck and died during work on Dec. 24, has sued his son's employer, a subsidiary of the Korean shipbuilder Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Co. Ltd., and the truck driver.

Raul Loquinario, 47, filed a criminal case against a Korean who drove the truck from where his son fell over and died on Dec. 24.

Loquinario assailed the police in Subic town for not arresting the driver, Jang Jong Dae, 41, and chief of the engineering unit.

The case for reckless imprudence resulting in homicide against Jang was filed at the Olongapo City prosecutor's office on Dec. 27.

The family refused the offer of P100,000 from a certain Mr. Lee, reportedly a director of the DMK, as settlement for the death of Reynan, 24.

"My son's work was over that day but that Korean ordered my son and his co-worker [Jason Valdeztamon] to board the truck and hold the two pipes there as he drove within the Hanjin compound," Loquinario told the Philippine Daily Inquirer (parent company of INQUIRER.net) by phone.

In an affidavit, Valdeztamon said Jang instructed them to hold two metal pipes. "The sidings of the trucks were not closed. We had no safety cables on. The driver drove very fast. Reynan was [thrown off] the truck and the pipes fell on him," Valdeztamon said.

Reynan died of multiple crash injuries.

Jang, Loquinario said, was not supposed to drive the truck at that time because the vehicle was assigned to another personnel.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer on Sunday tried but failed to reach Jang, the DMK or Hanjin. Jong Yu Pyeong, Hanjin general manager, did not reply to the paper's queries on Sunday.

"The policemen acted like they were mediating for Hanjin, not on behalf of my son. They were preventing us from filing cases. They did not want to make an affidavit of my complaint," Loquinario said.

Supt. Cesar Jacob, Subic police chief, said his men tried but failed to find Jang at the Hanjin compound.

"When we could not find Jang, we went to the family of the victim to get their statements. They agreed to a settlement at first but changed their mind," Jacob said.

The complaints by Loquinario, the first to be filed against a Hanjin employee and the companies, put a spotlight on the treatment of Korean investors of Filipino workers and safety measures at workplaces, said Ramon Lacbain II, chair of the Zambales government's Task Force Hanjin that assisted the family.

Reynan, the eldest in the brood of six, was the family's lone breadwinner. Loquinario has been ill and tends a sari-sari (variety) store.

Jacob described the DMK as a "sub-contractor" of Hanjin.

Chief Supt. Errol Pan, Central Luzon police director, said the task force had "no jurisdiction over the case." He said the police prepared a case against some people who prodded the Loquinarios to reject the settlement offer. He declined to identify them.

A policeman in Zambales said Hanjin offered P250,000 but the task force "meddled" and "influenced" the family to demand at least P2 million. Loquinario denied asking for such an amount.

"All I want is justice. Those Koreans should be taught a lesson. They shouldn't treat Filipino workers the way they treated my son," he said.

Lacbain denied that the task force exerted pressure on the Loquinarios.

"The task force has been formed to address the social, economic and environmental impact of the project. We are, in fact, helping Hanjin do its social responsibilities in the communities," Lacbain said.

The labor case accused DMK and Hanjin of neglect, of not issuing copies of employment contracts to workers, of paying below the minimum wage, and of non-registration of workers with the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), Social Security System (SSS) and Pag-Ibig Fund.

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Three issues posted in Olongapo-Subic blog spiked its readership and its counter hitting the 699800 mark largely due to this week 's hot issues. Graphic report of recent visitors' map shows that commentators are from different parts of the globe with varying opinion on hot issues as well as suggestions for our leaders' consideration.

The following articles were of special interest to Olongapo-Subic News Readers:

Kapitan Carlito Baloy of Barretto was given a fresh mandate by members of the Association of Barangay Captain of Olongapo City as their leader and representative to the City Council, Capt Arce of New Ilalim did not pursue his plan to run for ABC Presidency leaving Baloy uncontested during their assembly held this morning 29 December 2007 at FMA Hall, Olongapo City Hall Complex.

Three weeks ago, the hotly contested seat of SK Federation Chairman was won by Chenny Moya also from Barretto in a controversial show of defiance by the emerging young leaders to the wishes of the city's administration party which endorsed celebrity teen star Dindin Llarena of East Tapinac to the SK Federation Chairmanship.

Magsaysay boy’s SBMA post raises eyebrows

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Philippines -- Except for a stint as political affairs officer in his mother’s congressional office, 23-year-old Vicente “Jobo” Magsaysay II has made it big in his second job.

The eldest son of Jesus Vicente Magsaysay and Zambales Rep. Milagros Magsaysay has been named by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to the 14-member board of the state-owned Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority as the province’s private sector representative.

Critics

His appointment, made known only last week, was criticized by sectors in the freeport, notably Sen. Richard Gordon and Zambales Gov. Amor Deloso.

In separate interviews, Gordon and Deloso said the young Magsaysay had never held a job prior to his appointment as SBMA director.

Gordon said Republic Act No. 7227, or the bases conversion law that also created the SBMA, has not been followed again in this case.

“The workers of the (former Subic Naval Base) have been totally excluded,” said Gordon, the first chair of the SBMA and former mayor of Olongapo City, where much of the former base workers live.

He said former employees of the US military in the base’s ship repair, public works and naval centers should have representation in the SBMA board to ensure the “continuity of the vision.”

The law gave bases conversion agencies, mainly the Bases Conversion Development Authority, the power to convert former American bases like Subic, Clark, Camp John Hay and other bases into productive lands and make the progress in these military facilities beneficial to those once dependent on them.

“I was really disturbed by it,” Gordon said of Magsaysay’s appointment, adding that he learned about this from Deloso.

The governor said he was “upset.”

Contribution

“I don’t know what the boy would contribute to the SBMA when he has not done any job in his life,” Deloso said.

SBMA Chair Feliciano Salonga on Wednesday confirmed that Magsaysay had joined the board, the policy-making body of the SBMA.

Magsaysay replaced his father, Jesus Vicente, who ran and lost for Zambales governor in the May 14 elections. His grandfather, former Gov. Vicente Magsaysay, also lost in his senatorial bid.

“[Magsaysay] was appointed by our President. She wrote us a letter for Jobo to join the board,” Salonga said in a phone interview.

He said the young Magsaysay had attended two board meetings this month.

Reached by phone, Magsaysay said his SBMA stint was so far the second job he has held in his life. The first was as political affairs officer in his mother’s congressional office.

“I ran the office and I took that job seriously,” he said.

Magsaysay said he finished AB Political Science at the Ateneo de Manila University, where he is also taking up a master’s degree in public management.

“I’m young but I’m capable for the job. As a director, I think I can do moral decision-making. Wala akong bahid na anything na marumi (I have not been smeared by any wrongdoing),” he told the Philippine Daily Inquirer, parent company of INQUIRER.net.

Magsaysay said he should not be perceived as someone riding on the name of his family.

“I want to excel. I will ask my elders for advice but the decision-making will be mine,” he said.

Age, according to him, should “never be an issue” because “there are many young people in government agencies and in Congress.”

“My grandfather became governor when he was 26,” he said.

His mother, Representative Magsaysay, said the opinions of her son’s detractors should “not be the yardstick of my son’s capability.”

“Who are they to judge him?” she asked.

“He’s sobrang level-headed. Marunong siyang sumabay ke nasa mataas ka o mababa. Nenerbiyosin sila sa kanya because he’s qualified (My son is extremely level-headed. He knows how to deal with people from all walks of life. They’ll be scared of him because he’s qualified),” she said of her son, the eldest in a brood of six.

Her son, she added, was “not bobo (dumb).”

Salonga has called Magsaysay “our young David.”

“He’s in a learning mode, absorbing much of the issues. I’m guiding him in the issues because his parents are friends to me,” the SBMA chair said.

As director, Magsaysay gets P10,000 in honorarium per meeting (two or three are held monthly), free housing within the freeport and gas allowance.

The position of the late Jose Calimlim as senior deputy administrator remains vacant. Calimlim, 62, died on Nov. 30 after a lingering illness.

And what the hell is the SBMA labor center doing about this crap. are they protecting the investors or the workers. as far as i know, they were created to protect the workers. if what they are doing is the opposite,, its about time to make the changes habang nasa rigudon pa ang organization.

Olongapo chosen Child-Friendly City for 2007

OLONGAPO CITY: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) have once again chosen this city as the regional winner for 2007 in the annual search for Child-Friendly City.

Olongapo City has been awarded Child-Friendly City in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006 and 2007 since the search was launched in 1999.

The search is a yearly competition that is held through Executive Order 184 to encourage cities and municipalities to push for projects and programs for the youth sector.Olongapo City Vice-Mayor Cynthia Cajudo and City Social Welfare and Development Office Head Gene Eclarino received the award last week in San Fernando, Pampanga in behalf of Mayor James Gordon.

Among the validating team that visited the city during the search were Yvette C. Cosio of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Annette Timbol of the National Economic & Development Authority, Melanie Barnatcheta of DSWD, and Terie Celerio of Reception & Study Center for Children.Besides the plaque, the city also won a P50,000 cash incentive from the DSWD.

MV Doulos Opening Ceremony

Doulos was built in 1914, only two years after the Titanic. Today, Doulos is the World's Oldest Active Ocean-Going Passenger Vessel. She is operated by non-profit charity organization GBA meaning Good Books for All.

Onboard is the World's Largest Floating Book Fair. Doulos is the unique platform for an international community service and cultural exchange project. 350 volunteers from over 50 nations serve onboard, bringing knowledge, help and hope to the nations.

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Appointment of 23-year-old to SBMA board hit

Appointment of 23-year-old to SBMA board hit

By Tonette Orejas - Inquirer Central Luzon Desk

Sen. Richard Gordon and Zambales Gov. Amor Deloso are protesting the appointment of a 23-year-old scion of the Magsaysay family by President Macapagal-Arroyo to the board of the state-owned Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority.

In separate interviews recently, Gordon and Deloso said Jesus Vicente "Jobo" Magsaysay II, 23, never held a job prior to his appointment as SBMA director.

But Magsaysay said in a phone interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer that his SBMA stint has so far been the second job he held in his life. The first was as political affairs officer in his mother's congressional office. "I ran the office and I took that job seriously," he said.

Gordon said in a Dec. 15 interview that Republic Act 7227, or the Bases Conversion Law that also created the SBMA, was not followed again in Magsaysay’s appointment.

"The workers of the (former Subic Naval Base) have been totally excluded," said Gordon, the first chair of the SBMA and former mayor of Olongapo City, where much of the former base workers live.

He said former employees of the United States military in the base's ship repair, public works and naval centers should have representatives in the SBMA board to ensure the "continuity of the vision."

The law gave bases conversion agencies, chiefly the Bases Conversion Development Authority, the task of managing programs and projects to convert Subic, Clark, Camp John Hay and several former American baselands into productive uses and make the former workers of the US bases as well as other sectors part of the progress in these new economic zones.

"I was really disturbed by it," he said of Magsaysay's appointment, adding that he learned about this from Deloso.

Governor Deloso said in a Dec. 19 interview that he was "upset" by Magsaysay’s appointment.

"I don't know what the boy would contribute to the SBMA when he has not done any job in his life," Deloso said.

SBMA Chair Feliciano Salonga on Wednesday confirmed that Magsaysay joined the 14-member board as private sector representative of Zambales.

Magsaysay's father and grandfather, former Gov. Vicente Magsaysay, lost in their gubernatorial and senatorial bids, respectively, in the May 14 elections.

"[Magsaysay] was appointed by our President. She wrote us a letter for Jobo to join the board," Salonga said in a phone interview.

He said the young Magsaysay attended two board meetings this December.

Magsaysay said he finished AB Political Science at the Ateneo de Manila University, where he is also taking his master in public management.

"I'm young but I'm capable of doing the job. As a director, I think I can do moral decision-making. Wala akong bahid na anything na marumi (I have not been smeared by any wrongdoing)," he told the INQUIRER.

Magsaysay said he should not be perceived as someone riding on the name of his family.

"I want to excel. I will ask my elders for advice but the decision-making will be mine," he said.

Age, according to him, should "never be an issue" because "there are many young people in government agencies and in Congress."

"My grandfather became governor when he was 26," he said.

His mother, Representative Magsaysay said the opinions of her son's detractors should "not be the yardstick by which to measure my son's capability."

"Who are they to judge him?" she asked.

"He's sobrang level-headed. Marunong siyang sumabay ke nasa mataas ka o mababa. Nenerbiyosin sila sa kanya because he's qualified (My son is extremely level-headed. He knows how to deal with people from all walks of life. They’re scared of him because he's qualified]," the congresswoman said of her son, the eldest in a brood of six.

Her son, she added, was "not bobo (dumb)."

Salonga called Magsaysay "our young David." "He's in a learning mode, absorbing much of the issues. I'm guiding him in the issues because his parents are friends to me," the SBMA chair said.

As director, Magsaysay gets P10,000 in honorarium per meeting (two or three are held monthly), free housing within the freeport and gas allowance.

"I'm bias in favor of Ateneo graduates because they turn out to be useful to us," Salonga said.

The position of the late Jose Calimlim as senior deputy administrator has not been filled up yet. Calimlim, 62, died on Nov. 30 after a lingering illness.

Political Pro.. The sitting leaders should formally act on this matter for Malacanang and SBMA to have on its records the point of view of the local leaders, this discussion is good for the leaders to know the pulse of its constituency and its now up for the leaders . . . the Provincial Board, Sangguniang Pambayan and the City Council to have their positions clearly stated on the matter. It this discussion is not suffecient for them to react, then the stake-holders (NGOs, POs - Business Groups, Worker's Groups, ABC, etc) should prompt them to by writing their own resolutions and have it submitted to their respective sanggunians. Now if ever there will be no reaction from stake holders, then its either the appointment if okay with the constituency or the people have turned into the "Idon't care attitude"By Political Pro, at 12/29/2007 7:26 AM

This is how blatant show of abuse of authority by GMA and the callousness of the Magsaysays. They are making a big joke of SBMA. Ginagawang gatasan at hanapbuhay ng mga Magsaysay ang gobyerno.

LETS BE CONSTRUCTIVE ABOUT THIS ISSUE LETS DO AWAY WITH POLITICAL AFFILIATONS AND GIVE THE KIDDO A CHANCE TO PROVE HIMSELF AND HAVE HIS PERFORMANCE PROPERLY EVALUATED WITHOUT BIASED IF HE DID GOOD LET IT BE! AND IF NOT THEN LET THE AXE FALL AND KICK THE TODDLER OUT OF HIS CRIB! AND BRING HER BACK UNDER HER MOTHERS SKIRT!!!By Anonymous, at 12/30/2007 12:52 PMLet me comment on the comments of this Boy Director:1. "...learning curve ko mabilis na matuto..." - Yeah, that's the way to do it, there's nothing like a PAID TRAINING (at 30 thou a month). Nasa Board para matuto at pag-aralan: "learning mode, absorbing much of the issues"...2. "...They’re scared of him because he's qualified." - Coming from an elected congresswoman. So that means those people ("detractors") must be less qualified than this dude. Hmmmm...3. "...Magsaysay said he should not be perceived as someone riding on the name of his family." - Duh, taking up PolSci and adding SBMA Director to his biodata with a surname like yours, tell me dude, who are you kidding?:)By Louie of Riyadh, KSA, at 12/30/2007 3:58 PM

MV Doulos arrives in Subic tomorow on final sail

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — The world’s largest floating bookstore, MV Doulos, will arrive here tomorrow for her last port call in the Philippines prior to decommissioning next year.

Jiamin Choo, MV Doulos project coordinator, said the 93-year-old ship will be in Subic from Dec. 28 to Jan. 14 to conduct a book fair and promote cultural understanding.

This will be the ship’s final visit to Subic since it will be retired next year in accordance with an international protocol disallowing ships with wooden parts from sailing starting 2010, said Choo.

Doulos was built in 1914 just two years after the famous Titanic sank, and is now listed in the "Guinness Book of Records" as the world’s oldest active ocean-going passenger ship.

Purchased in 1977 by Gute Bücher für Alle (Good Books for All), a private, non-profit, charitable organization registered in Germany, the ship has been utilized since 1978 in bringing “knowledge, help and hope” through its floating book fair and cultural exchange programs.

MV Doulos is manned by a volunteer crew of 300, who represent about 50 countries, said Choo, a volunteer from South Korea.

While in Subic, Doulos will be open Tuesdays to Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., for the book fair, which will have an entrance fee of P10 per person.

Children below 16 years old will be free of charge, but must be accompanied by adults, said Olga Wiebe, the ship’s coordinator in Subic. --Ric Sapnu

Gordon-Garcia tandem 'electable'

Richard Gordon and Gwendolyn Garcia would make an excellent tandem in the 2010 presidential election.

The senator from Olongapo and the Cebu governor are sure winners—if they have the money.

Yes, Gordon is not in the surveys of possible presidential candidates at this time, but a lot of things can happen between now and 2010.

People who want order and discipline for the country—a prerequisite for economic progress—will vote for him.

After all, it was Gordon who taught Pinoys they were capable of discipline when drivers and motorists followed traffic rules at the Subic Bay Freeport complex during his term as head of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority.

As for Garcia, she’s much prettier than Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who was elected vice president in 1998.

Garcia will win votes among the star-struck electorate because she is prettier than some Filipino actresses.

* * *

The Gordon-Garcia tandem’s biggest hitch is that it might run on the administration ticket. In which case, they would lose because people hate President Gloria like the plague.

This was evident in the last election when the administration ticket was trounced. Even the supposedly “sure winner,” popular actor, Cesar Montano, didn’t win.

If Gordon and Garcia are serious about running in 2010 they should start dissociating themselves from the President.

New ‘jungle’ rises in Subic

The theme park is located in the naval magazine area of the Subic Bay Freeport

By Anthony Bayarong, Correspondent

SUBIC BAY Freeport: Visitors to this free pormay already be familiar with the mischievous macaque monkeys that often wander into the roadside, willing to be photographed for some scrap of food. But now, a giant monkey beckons public attention. His name is Jungle Joe and the 50-hectare wonderland under his domain is called… well, Jungle Joe’s World.

Jungle Joe’s World, a project of the Subic Family Land Co., is the latest entry to the growing theme park industry here, and the biggest tourism destination inside the Subic Bay Freeport Zone today in terms of occupied area.

Located in the Naval Magazine area, which previously housed the US Navy ammunition depot when Subic was still a naval base, the multimillion development project makes use of camouflaged bunkers converted into air-conditioned amusement centers, with jungle trails amidst gargantuan trees.

The park, which will formally open next year, will join other popular Subic theme parks like Ocean Adventure, which boasts of dolphins and other marine attractions, and Zoobic Safari, which has a wide collection of exotic wild animals.

In a “sneak peek” organized over the weekend by Jungle Joe CEO Yvette Desiongco during the park’s soft opening, the theme park management toured members of local media and employees of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), who were awed by the work in progress.

“If you had seen this place six months ago, you would appreciate even better how much progress has been done in such a short time,” remarked SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza.

“To be honest, I am just as excited as my kids are to be visiting the park today,” added Arreza, who playfully took photos of his children at Jungle Joe’s colorful playground.

At least five bunkers in the huge theme park have already been converted into air-conditioned themed amusement centers: Indy 500, where children can drive mini-race cars around a mini-race track; Winter Wonderland, which is filled with a collection of Christmas symbols like Santa Claus and his reindeers; Playhouse Theater, which provides video entertainment in a playhouse setting; Voodoo Combo, which has scary stuff with a Halloween theme; and Jungle Fever Discotheque, which offers a different kind of dancing experience.

Besides the amusement bunkers, Jungle Joe’s World also has the Jurassic Trail, which is filled with giant fiberglass animals carved by artisans from Angono, Rizal—the same supplier of props and displays to Enchanted Kingdom, Disneyland, and Universal Studios.

Jungle Joe is also tapping engineers from the University of the Philippines to do the animatronics system for the theme park, said Desiongco.

More attractions, she said, will be developed before the park opens next year. Among the planned features are Jungle Joe’s Survival Trail, Adventure Maze, and the Caanaba Beach.

The park would also have a gift shop, a central food court, a bike trail, and a mini-railway system that would transport visitors around the sprawling grounds.

“We are also planning to construct a lift like that in Aspen [Colorado], where skiers ride to the top of the slope,” Desiongco revealed. “This would allow visitors to Jungle Joe’s world to see the whole theme park from top view,” she said.

Desiongco also said her company would provide lodgings for visitors who would like to stay overnight.

“But instead of constructing a hotel, we would build tree houses to give our visitors a distinct jungle experience,” she added.

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Palace orders expansion of Subic free port zone

PRESIDENT Arroyo has ordered the Subic free port expanded to make room for investors seeking to take advantage of its duty-free status.

“There has been a shortage of areas for lease to investors who intend to avail themselves of the tax- and duty-free incentives [within the zone],” Mrs. Arroyo said as she signed Executive Order 675 for the port’s expansion.

“Extending the area of coverage… will entice more local and foreign investors to set up business [there].”

Mrs. Arroyo said the tax- and duty-free privilege within the port applied within the secured area consisting of the fenced-in former Subic Naval Base and other areas that may be added to it by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority.

Residents and foreign tourists would be allowed to buy goods within the expanded zone provided the goods were consumed there, she said.

She ordered the SBMA and Customs to adopt more measures to prevent smuggling within the port and to make sure the companies operating within had a control system set up at their own expense to account for imports and sales.

“The removal of raw materials, capital goods, equipment and consumer items out of the secured area for sale to non-registered enterprises shall be subject to the usual taxes and duties,” she said.

“We acknowledged both the challenges and opportunities that EO 675 brings us, and we concluded that we should synergize, lest we all stagnate,” he said.

“We welcome EO 675 because it will maximize the tax- and duty-free privileges of the Subic Freeport Zone so that more investments would come into the zone,” Subic’s municipal secretary Dick Otero said.

Ten Subic students inducted into National Honor Society

SUBIC BAY Freeport: Ten high-school students from Brent International School here in Subic were inducted into the prestigious National Honor Society (NHS), an organization established in 1921 to recognize outstanding high school students in the United States.

School principal Garth Wyncott said this was the first time that students from Brent Subic ever made it to the prestigious honor roll, which recognized excellence in scholarship, leadership, service, and character.

The NHS previously extended only to students in the United States, Canada, as well as US territories like Puerto Rico.

The new NHS inductees, who come from Brent Subic’s 11th and 12th grades, are mostly children of business locators here and represent various nationalities.

The 10 students were inducted recently at Brent Subic’s auditorium before an audience composed of proud parents, fellow students and friends, teachers, and members of the Subic expatriate community.

Besides receiving certificates of membership to the NHS, the inductees who are graduating this year became qualified for a $5,000 award from the NHS, school officials said.

Serene Cuenco-Reyes, a 12th grader from Olongapo City and daughter of an employee of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, is the only Filipino among the Brent Subic students inducted into the NHS.

“This is definitely an honor for Serene and for the other inductees, but I would also say that this tells a lot about how good a school Brent is, and how conducive to excellence the Subic Freeport really is,” said her father Alan.

Brent Subic, a private, co-educational college preparatory school associated with the Episcopal Church in the Philippines, is the only international school in the Subic Freeport.

Now catering mostly to children of the multinational business community here, Brent Subic prides itself with a program that strives to develop individual students as responsible global citizens and leaders in their respective communities.-- Anthony Bayarong - Manila Times

NCC set to work with LGUs on competitiveness programs

Council is gearing its effort to decongest Manila ports through Batangas, Clark, Subic strategic hubs

NCC set to work with LGUs on competitiveness programs

TO MAKE its competitiveness programs benefit more people especially those in the provinces, the National Competitiveness Council (NCC) will work vigorously with local government units (LGUs) on how they could help achieve their goals.

NCC co-chair ambassador Cesar B. Bautista said involving more LGUs in the task to develop a competitive Philippines would be among the Council's doables in 2008.

He said the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) would conduct a roadshow in at least 12 provinces with the governor, mayor and its local chambers.

The ambassador himself or one champion of NCC's working groups would present the NCC roadmap with LGUs and discuss ways how they could help achieve its competitiveness objectives.

Bautista said the roadshow would be also an opportune time to tackle with the LGUs their compliance with the required 90 to 120 days securing of building permits/barangay endorsements.

Getting said permits from the LGUs has been identified as among the top 10 business problems with bureaucracy based on results of 2007 AmCham Worst Red Tape Survey.

Other business problems, which the NCC hopes to squarely address in 2008, are claim for tax refund on overpayments of tax liabilities with the Bureau of Internal Revenue, application for a Customs Bonded Warehouse with the Bureau of Customs and securing work visa with the Bureau of Immigration.

Likewise, the Council intends to fast track manual posting of Social Security System (SSS) contribution, application for Laguna Lake Development Authority clearance, approval of exploration permit applications with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, application for certificate of product registration with the Bureau of Food and Drugs, reimbursements/benefits redemption from Philhealth and reduce inspection fee charged by the Bureau of Fire Protection.

Agencies concerned would be given compliance time to effectively speed up applications for business documents.

Bautista said the NCC, through the PCCI, will also engage more LGUs in "model city involvement."

"We target 150 LGUs with model roadmaps by next year. Already 65 cities are working on it and we hope that we can have 150 by end-2008 or an additional 85 LGus," he noted. "The roadmap makes the city become much more of a world-class city."

The ambassador said instead of working on the mayors and employees of LGUs, the plan employs multi-sectoral approach by involving business and academic leaders in this undertaking.

He said the Council is also gearing its effort to decongest Manila ports through Batangas, Clark, Subic strategic hubs with value-added zones.

The NCC infrastructure-working group is keen on promoting the establishment of the North Corridor for more investments to come in the area.

Bautista said other priorities of the Council for 2008 include lowering of electricity rate to import sector by P1 to P2 per kilowatt-hour; liberalized policy to spur small and medium enterprises (SME) financing, achieve 10-percent improvement in English, Science, Math in elementary and secondary schools, increase dual training vocational graduates to 100,000 and involve the public on competitiveness.

The passage of the Credit Information System Act (Cisa) is crucial to providing more credit to the SMEs as they would have more efficient system with information exchange.

Spurring the growth of the SMEs sector is important in improving the country's competitiveness as this comprises over 97 percent of Philippine firms and exporters providing over 80 percent of employment.

The NCC this year succeeded in getting the support of the National Power Corporation which agreed to reduce the power costs of Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) locators by P1 per kWh. Even factories outside Peza are also enjoying such power rate reduction.

Elementary students already achieved 11.77-percent average improvement in English, Science and Math subjects.

The present ESM proficiency rate is 52.5 percent. The Council targets to raise this to 70 percent by 2010 through teachers' training and courses focus on these subjects. (Philexport)

Between hope and despair

By John NeryPhilippine Daily Inquirer

The news from the provinces was late but bracing. On Dec. 15, the Man from Subic and the Woman from Cebu met--unexpectedly--at the launch of a new ship. They ended up launching another, decidedly more vulnerable, vessel: a trial balloon.

As trial balloons go, however, this was a blimp. "Sen. Richard Gordon and Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia have stoked rumors of a potential administration-backed tandem in the 2010 polls after both politicians flirted with the idea of running together," Inquirer reporter Gil Cabacungan Jr. began his front-page story the other day.

To hear the principals speak, the idea was spur-of-the-moment. "That came out spontaneously," Gordon told me. "I nearly fell out of my seat."

A modest Garcia downplayed the form without denying the substance. "That's all there is to it, really," she said in a text message. "A teaser."

But spontaneous or not, there was definitely something combustible in the idea. Two capable executives (Subic Bay remains a template of development), two proven vote-getters (Garcia's margin in the last election was almost half a million votes, about twice the number of Pampanga voters who elected Among Ed Panlilio).

Of course, it doesn't hurt that he hails from Luzon and can ignite a crowd, while Garcia speaks Visayan and sings like a star.

* * *

To be sure, the latest poll of 2010-bound presidential candidates I've seen (it's several months old) puts Gordon in the single digit, with Sen. Loren Legarda far and away the survey leader. And I'm not even sure if Garcia is on the list of possible vice-presidential candidates.

But current talk about the presidential race centers on the presumptive (or maybe even presumptuous) candidacies of Senators Manny Villar and Mar Roxas. They did not fare all that well in that survey I saw either, but the taken-for-granted viability of their candidacies is primarily financial. Villar is back in the ranks of the country's dollar billionaires, while Roxas is heir to an old-rich fortune. (Roxas, however, has a real party to back him up, unlike Villar, whose revived Nacionalista won't function without him.)

My point: It's early in the game, and it's still anybody's race. What the Gordon-Garcia "teaser" does is to de-privilege money as a factor of competitiveness. That might redefine the way the game is played.

World’s largest floating library goes to Subic

The Filipino youth will be the focus of the world’s largest floating library, MV Doulos, and its 350 Christian volunteers when they return after six years to the Subic Bay Freeport on Dec. 28.

Olga Wiebe, Doulos project coordinator, told the Inquirer that their theme would be “Dare to Dream.”

“At least 80 to 100 of our volunteers from the world over will interact with the Filipino youth through music, dance, drama and life stories to inspire them to dream. It will be like a journey around the world,” she said here last week.

Wiebe said the event, which invited youths from various parts of the Philippines and called the Doulos International Night, is set on Jan. 12 at the Olongapo City Convention Center.

While berthed at the Subic Bay’s Alava Wharf until Jan. 14, Doulos will receive guests to browse through its library that carries more than 6,000 book titles and hundreds of film and music videos.

Doulos, owned by the German charity group Gute Bucher fur Alle (Good Books for All), has sailed to over 100 countries since 1978 to “bring knowledge, help and hope to the nations.”

The ship, the medium through which the volunteers reach people from across the globe, is actually 93 years old or four to five times the age of its volunteers who are between 18 and 25 years old, Wiebe said.

Built in 1914, Doulos had been rebuilt and reengineered twice to make it the oldest ocean-going passenger ship in the world, she said.

After serving as a freighter ship, migrant carrier and cruise liner, Doulos was transformed into a floating library to promote education and international understanding in Latin America, Africa, Europe, Middle East, Asia and the Pacific.

The library is open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays through Mondays.

Monday, December 24, 2007

8,000 runners, including international elite group, to join Subic Marathon

8,000 runners, including international elite group, to join Subic Marathon

SUBIC BAY Free port: Some 8,000 participants, including 50 international elite runners, will be joining the first Subic Marathon to be held on the second week of January 2008.

Assistant race director Ponce Piñones said that the 42-kilometer marathon on the streets of the Subic Bay Free Port would be the biggest in the country today.

He added the winner would take home some $5,000, the biggest in the history of the country’s marathons.

Top runners from Kenya, Singapore, Australia, Great Britain, Malaysia, Ethiopia, Morocco and Malaysia will be coming to Subic to join the race.

He also confirmed that 28-year-old running sensation Cresciano Sabal would lead the country’s elite runners in the 42-km event.

Some 350 policemen will secure the race course together with some 500 volunteers from the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), civic groups and other local government units in the area.

Piñones explained that besides the grueling 42-km run, participants can also join the 3-, 5-, 10-, and 21-kilometer races, all of them inside the picturesque roadways of Subic Bay.

“Subic is a world-class tourist destination. With Subic Marathon 2008, local and international runners get to savor the hospitality and scenery of Subic, its people and environs in particular, and the entire Philippines in general,” he added.

“We expect spectators to come in droves to the free port, cheering the runners along the course. Hence, first-rate accommodations, tight security and other support services are assured. Furthermore, local watchers can tune in to the nationwide media coverage, and overseas sports fans can catch the marathon proceedings over the international media and via podcasts over the Internet,” Piñones noted.

“It is time the Philippines have its own Boston marathon or New York marathon and this is it,” Jay Adlao-Block, president of Outbound Asia, and a member of the organizing committee said.

She added that the Subic Marathon is one of only two races in the country that was accredited by the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS).

Five of the largest and most prestigious races in the world such as the “Boston Marathon” Boston, New York City, “Chicago Marathon” Chicago, “London Marathon” London, and “Berlin Marathon” Berlin are also accredited by AIMS.

Adlao-Block said that many of the runners competing are in the thick of their preparations with some clocking as fast as 2 hours and 14 minutes.

“With 29 days to go, their times could come down further,” she said.-- Anthony Bayarong - Manila Times

PASG chief wants help, tip-offs vs smugglers

Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG) chief Undersecretary Antonio Villar appealed Sunday for support from the public and concerned agencies in the fight against smugglers, saying he was "afraid" of the big-time syndicates and their powerful backers behind the illegal entry of goods into the country.

"Anyway, I’m still alive and the PASG’s work will continue with greater vigor but we really need the help of the people and those in government agencies in giving us information and support to put behind bars these smugglers and their protectors who weaken our economy and put many people out of jobs," Villar said.

Villar was formerly a town mayor in Pangasinan province before President Arroyo appointed him to the post last May. A few months back, he disclosed that he and his wife have been receiving death threats in their mobile phones and in their house in the province.

"People often see me scowling, especially during media coverage of PASG raids. I try to look tough because really I’m afraid of these powerful syndicates and their backers," Villar told The STAR.

However, he said the PASG’s string of successful raids and the support of the public give him and his personnel strength to pursue their mandate.

Last week, his men raided a high-end service shop in Makati City and seized 81 luxury vehicles, worth an estimated P200 million, suspected to have been smuggled and legally registered with the help of unscrupulous officials at the Bureau of Customs (BoC) and the Land Transportation Office.

The luxury vehicles, including some 20 BMWs and Lamborghinis, were believed to be owned by powerful politicians, who last week tried to intervene with PASG operatives to have their cars released.

San Juan Mayor JV Ejercito, son of former President Joseph Estrada, was one those who reportedly tried to reclaim some of the vehicles, saying he has papers to prove ownership but the PASG operatives said his documents would be checked first.

Last June, Villar announced that some powerful politicians tried to seek the help of Malacañang to effect the release of more than P500 million worth of smuggled goods but Mrs. Arroyo backed him up.

Officials said since its formation, the PASG has recovered billions worth of smuggled goods ranging from bunker oil, plastic resins to electronic equipment, and file charges against various suspected smugglers and their protectors at the BoC.

The move put him at odds with Customs Commissioner Napoleon Morales, whom Villar claims is allegedly responsible for the entry of billions of pesos worth of smuggled goods in the country.

The PASG has also filed charges against some big oil firms in Subic for alleged smuggling of bunker fuel.

"If you really think about it, PASG is redundant. If the BoC is doing its job well, we don’t need to be here," Villar told reporters in a previous interview.

Referring to politicians allegedly protecting big-time smuggling syndicates, Villar said: "You have profited so much in the past years, it’s time to think of our country, so let go. Your bellies are already bulging with profits from smuggling activities."

The PASG, which was created under Executive Order 624, is under the Office of the President and has the power and function to apprehend, seize, investigate, and prosecute acts involving smuggling, unlawful importation, and other similar violations particularly of the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines. By PAOLO ROMERO - The Philippine Star

Gordon-Garcia tandem for 2010 polls shaping up

CEBU CITY -- Political observers here have started talking about a possible presidential tandem of Senator Richard Gordon and Governor Gwen Garcia for the 2010 elections following the visit here on Dec. 15 of Sen. Gordon.

At the launching here of the vessel, Wonderful Star, during which Gordon was the guest speaker, Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia praised the senator for “his sincerity, his passion, his competence that marks him as truly one deserving to lead our country.”

Noting that Gordon is a “presidentiable,” who is often mentioned as a leading presidential candidate in 2010, Ms Garcia spoke of “GG for Good Governance -- Gordon and Gwen”.

This led political strategists here to speak of a possible and potent presidential ticket of Senator Gordon for president and Governor Garcia for vice president, inasmuch as Gordon comes from Luzon, while Garcia is based in Cebu, the biggest voting bloc in the Visayas and Mindanao.

“Traditionally candidates for president and vice president are selected for their regional bases in Luzon, Visayas and Minandao. When the president comes from Luzon, the vice president is selected from either the Visayas or Mindanao, and vice versa,” said the political analysts.

It was in Cebu where President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo obtained a one million vote margin over her rival in the 2007 election, assuring her election to the presidency in her own right.

The lady governor said that the President’s decision to take her presidential oath of office in Cebu placed it on the national limelight as a province that has achieved economic progress “unprecedented in the history of our country.”

And just as important, according to her, is that Cebu achieved its high economic growth without going into debt. However, Ms Garcia said, “We have our responsibility to our country.

And as Cebu no leads all other provinces, and as Cebu is now showing everyone else that indeed it can be done with ‘‘GG -- Good Governance -- Gordon and Gwen.”

The statement was met with wild applause from the audience.

Gwen recalled that “way back, when Gordon was still mayor of Olongapo, whenever I will get a chance to listen to him on television, I will forget everything else because just listening to him truly inspires us to work and go to great lengths for the good of our country.”

She thanked the senator for his “passionate words and inspiring words about Cebu and the Philippines.”

In his speech, Senator Gordon lauded the leadership of Governor and the Garcia clan in promoting the industrial and economic growth of Cebu, which could be the model of economic progress for the entire Philippines.

He compared the entrepreneurship of the Cebuanos to the spirit of Lapu-Lapu who successfully repulsed the first venture of Spanish conquest of the Philippines.

He mentioned that “presidentiables nowadays want to get Gwen Garcia as their vice president.” He added that while he is not one of those presidentiables, he said, that ‘it could be G-G for Gwen Garcia or Gordon-Garcia or Gwen-Gordon of what anyone could call Good Governance.”This exchange of observations between the senator and the lady governor got tongues wagging for a possible powerful team for the presidency and the vice presidency in the 2010 elections. Journal.com

====

Gordon-Garcia tandem floated for 2010 polls

By Gil C. Cabacungan Jr. - Philippine Daily Inquirer

Sen. Richard Gordon and Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia have stoked rumors of a potential administration-backed tandem in the 2010 polls after both politicians flirted with the idea of running together during a meeting in vote-rich Cebu province more than a week ago.

Gordon has been tagged as one of the candidates being considered by the administration for presidential candidate for 2010. Garcia, a member of the Kabalikat ng Mamamayang Pilipino (Kampi) political party of President Macapagal-Arroyo, has been floated as a potential candidate for vice president or senator.

Gordon, the loquacious former mayor of Olongapo City, visited Cebu on Dec. 15 as guest speaker during the launching of the Wonderful Star roll-on, roll-off vessel owned by Roble Shipping in what some quarters saw as a launching of his presidential bid and probable running mate.

The administration has no definite candidates yet who may succeed Ms Arroyo, whose term ends in less than three years.

In a statement released by Gordon’s office, Garcia, in her speech, praised the senator for “his sincerity, his passion, his competence that marks him as truly one deserving to lead our country.”

She cited Gordon as a “presidentiable” and spoke of a “GG” partnership which, she said, stood for “Good Governance—Gordon and Gwen.”

“We have our responsibility to our country. And as Cebu now leads all other provinces, and as Cebu is now showing everyone else that indeed it can be done with ‘GG’—Good Governance—Gordon and Gwen,” said Garcia.

The governor also revealed that she had been a fan of Gordon’s forceful public speeches.

“Way back, when Gordon was still mayor of Olongapo, whenever I will get a chance to listen to him on television, I will forget everything else because just listening to him truly inspires us to work and go to great lengths for the good of our country,” she said.

In response, Gordon said “GG” could stand for “Gwen Garcia or Gordon-Garcia or Gwen-Gordon or what anyone could call Good Governance.”

The senator said Garcia herself had been wooed by potential presidential candidates as a running mate, largely because of how she had transformed Cebu into a dynamic province.

The Garcia family has been credited for delivering to the President the decisive votes in her reelection in 2004 in a landslide victory in Cebu.

Gordon said the province could be the model of economic progress for the entire Philippines as he compared its entrepreneurial drive “to the spirit of Lapu-Lapu who successfully repulsed the first venture of Spanish conquest of the Philippines.”

The pairing conforms to the tradition of selecting candidates for president and vice president from either Luzon or Visayas-Mindanao in order to cover a broader voting mass.

Although both politicians are off the radar insofar as the top presidential and vice presidential candidates are concerned, pundits believe that having four or five bets fighting for one post can give the edge to candidates backed by the administration since 25 percent of the votes is enough to win it all.

The administration is currently playing catch-up in the preparation for the 2010 elections.

Opposition candidates, mostly from the Senate, have dominated the popularity polls. They include Senate President Manny Villar, Senators Manuel Roxas II, Panfilo Lacson and Loren Legarda.

"Bagumbayan is not a place or a name. It is character, attitude, values and principle. It is a solution to the ills of
society
and a vision of a great
country."
"What this country needs is not a change OF men but a change IN men" Dick Gordon
Send email and attach photos/images to:
olongapo.subic.post@gmail.comfor posting to Olongapo-SubicBayNews

This is a joint private blog of volunteers from Subic Bay.
It is being maintained primarily to collate articles that may be of importance to decision making related to the future of
Subic Bay and as a source of
reference material to construct the history of Subic Bay.
The articles herein posted remains the sole property of original authors and publications which has full credits to the
articles.
Disclaimer: Readers should conduct their own research and due diligence before using any article herein posted for whatever
intended purpose it may be. This private web log will not be liable for any loss or damage caused by a reader's reliance on
information obtained from volunteers of this private blog.
www.subicbay.ph, http://olongapo-subic.com, http://sangunian.com, http://olongapo-ph.com, http://oictv.com,
http://brgy-ph.com, http://subicbay-news.com, http://batanggapo.com
16 January 2012